The Crime Factory

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Category: Personal Takes

  • Crime Fiction vs Thriller: Why Bestsellers Feel the Same

    The argument shows up anytime readers compare shelves: crime fiction vs thriller. Same bookstore aisle, two very different instincts. Crime fiction leans on cause and consequence – motives that bruise, small details that snowball, an investigation that actually investigates. Thrillers are built for momentum – short fuses, tight chapters, a “go, go, go” tempo that… →

  • Lucy Letby “nurse killer”: ICU of nightmares & lessons for hospitals

    They called it the “soft room,” that neonatal ICU bathed in pastel colors where preemies were supposed to grab their first fragile breaths. Instead, from the summer of 2015 through the summer of 2016, the Countess of Chester Hospital in northern England became a house of horrors, and the quiet nurse everybody nicknamed “Letby Lullaby”… →

  • Don’t Just Write What You Know – Make Stuff Up (Writing Advice)

    Most writing guides hit you with the same mantra: “write what you know.” But here’s the real deal: if every storyteller only wrote from personal experience, our bookshelves would look like one endless memoir section. Instead, embrace a little creative freedom—write what you know as a starting point, then let your imagination take off. 1.… →

  • The Power of Profanity in Hardboiled Fiction

    By Alex MercerWarning: This article contains strong language Hardboiled crime stories and classic noir often carry an unmistakable edge – not only in their plots but in the very words their characters speak. Some readers balk at every expletive, and major review outlets quietly insist on a PG-13 limit. But is sanitizing dialogue really true… →

  • Grit and Grace: Down to the Bone’s Unflinching Look at Addiction

    By Jordan Ellis, Guest Writer Drug addiction on screen often veers into the spectacular – hallucinatory sequences, convulsive withdrawals, baroque visual flourishes. We remember Rent’s nightmare baby in Trainspotting, the frantic motel escape in Drugstore Cowboy, or the gruesome spirals of Requiem for a Dream. Yet Debra Granik’s debut feature Down to the Bone offers… →

  • Guns: A Personal Dilemma

    by Evan Booker I’ll be honest from the start: guns make me nervous. I don’t like being around them, I don’t want one in my house, and I believe we’d all be a little safer if they weren’t so easy to get. This isn’t a political rant. If you’re a gun owner, that’s your choice… →

  • An Insightful Journey with Scott Phillips: Writing, Adaptation, and Noir Fiction

    Introduction Scott Phillips – a name synonymous with gripping noir fiction and intriguing storytelling. Born in Wichita, Kansas, Phillips has masterfully intertwined elements of crime, character-driven plots, and dark humor into his works. This article explores his journey, creative process, and reflections on the evolution of his novels, as shared during an interview with Noel… →

  • The Seduction of Violence

    I like violence. I like it in movies, on my TV and in books. I like MMA fighting. It gives me an adrenaline rush, increases my heart rate, has me holding my breath, my entire body tensing. I like Jason Statham, old marital arts movies with Bruce Lee, Steven Segal, Jackie Chan. I like watching… →

  • Ben Wheatley’s Kill List and My Unsettling Films List

    Late last night I attended a packed screening of Kill List and to say that it fucked me up is to put it tres-fucking-mildly. Wheatley’s debut film Down Terrace is one of the true sleepers of the last decade, a crime film by turns loose and funny then disturbingly bloody and deeply unsettling, a truly… →

  • What You’ll Be Reading This Year

    Hi, I’m Alex Monroe, a lifelong book enthusiast and passionate crime fiction fan. Over the years, I’ve come across some incredible stories that have left a lasting impression on me, and I thought it was time to share a few of my favorites with you. These books are more than just thrilling reads – they’re… →